Title: Always You
Author: Emily Anderson
Rating: PG
Anime: Hunter x Hunter
Brief Summary: A small reunion between Leorio and Kurapika. Just a small and fluffy LeoPika drabble.
Disclaimers: Yes, yes. I don't own either Leorio or Kurapika, so… don't sue me. oO;;

Too much time had ticked away since their last meeting. So far, they'd spent the day just resting in the sun, lazing the day away. Few words passed between them; few were needed to express their deeper understanding.

When the words had come, here and there, they'd been used for catching up and bringing up old memories, some almost forgotten. The memories had begun to fade, but were immediately restored with the shared words.

It almost seemed that the simple beauty of the day had taken form in everything around them, filling their senses with a strange calm neither had felt in years. The type of calm that made a person yearn to just stay in that moment forever, never to pass on to the next.

Leorio's clumsy hand reached out and brushed a few blond strands from Kurapika's deep blue eyes. "You don't know how I've missed you..." he commented in a soft voice. His voice was strong, but rose barely above a whisper.

"Mm... I think I do..." came a relaxed response. A soft breeze washed over the land, carrying a warm lavender odor. Normally, the heat would have bothered both, but this subtle breeze seemed to cool each one of their senses.

Calmly and gently, Kurapika moved to straddle Leorio's larger form. The younger man now wore a comforting smile. "Now... I think I have to congratulate you on graduating." A small pause passed between the two when Kurapika looked slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry I never made it to your graduation..."

Leorio shook his head softly. "Don't be. This is a whole hell of a lot better than that. Plus, we're alone... and I get you to myself." With tender affection, he let his fingers trail up Kurapika's back.

Kurapika felt a sigh pass from his lips and a shudder run through his body before he spoke. "I think it's supposed to be the other way around, baka. I get you all to me..." The blond leaned forward, resting his arms on Leorio's chest and bringing his lips to rest on the other man's chin.

"I missed this," the doctor noted as he hand his pressed against Kurapika's cheek. "I miss it all..." he continued in a hushed tone, trying not to break the content mood that settled. He leaned up and pressed his lips to Kurapika's ear. "Can't you stay longer than until tomorrow?" he inquired.

A shiver ran through the younger one's body with a hint of a groan. "Nn… I wish I could. They're expecting me back before the day's up today, even. So, I'm breaking a bit of a rule for you… just this once."

Kurapika's fingers laced into the top part of Leorio's tie, tugging playfully and gently on it, wanting to remove at least one bit of fabric from the man. The material loosened after some work and was pulled from the man's neck.

"Ne… have you gotten any offers for a job?" he inquired as his fingers played delicately with the tie he now held.

Nodding softly, Leorio confirmed he had. "Yeah, I've gotten a few… one of them… well," he paused, trying to find his words. "I'd be taken even further away from you. Plus, I'd be busy all the time, so, I wouldn't often get to visit you. Plus, with your… job… you can't hardly visit me often, either."

Kurapika's eyes were fixed on the fabric, not the man. He didn't really want to think about how close they've become and yet… how far away they would be now. Leorio would be even further if he took up the offer.

"But… I'm not going to take it." With these words, Kurapika's eyes snapped to Leorio's face inquiringly. He didn't know what to say. Wasn't this supposed to be Leorio's dream? "I… don't care about the money."

Now, there was complete shock registering in the Kurata's features. "You always said you did… though, I knew that wasn't exactly why you were becoming a hunter. I thought…" but his words were cut off as Leorio brought a hushing finger to Kurapika's lips.

"I want to be a doctor. I want to help people. I don't want to be paid this high salary to help them, though. All I need is money here and there to stock up my case. I want to help people and if I take this job, I'll only be helping those that can offered my service…" Now he looked down at the tie that was in Kurapika's hands, feeling rather embarrassed. True, he'd always felt this, but he never said it to anyone.

Leorio cleared his throat. "True, that's also an important fact, but… there's something else stopping me. Something more important."

"Huh?" seemed to be all that registered in Kurapika's mind right now. Of course, that made him feel like an idiot, but in the current situation, that was minor.

Of course, Leorio had to chuckle at this. His head shook a bit and he placed his hand under Kurapika's chin, watching him closely. "You. It will always be you. Many nights I found myself distracted from studies… just thinking. Thinking of the only person who had gotten inside of me, the only person that truly let me in."

The boy blinked a few times, not really certain what to say. He'd never stopped to think about how far he would be distancing himself from his friends by taking his job, but that seemed to be all that Leorio truly cared about. Not just his friends, also, it was all about him.

"You were always the one I wanted to push away and yet, I couldn't help it, you became a part of me." Each word was muffled, quiet. Each seemed to hold a piece of his soul with them.

"Now, with being out of college, I can finally fulfill the vow I made to myself. I vowed I would protect you in the best of my ability. I know you're stronger now, but… that doesn't matter. I still want to be able to protect you."

A firm smile pressed on Leorio's lips. "I would follow you through hell and back just to make sure you made it through. And I've seen you there; you did make it back. Now I know I can make it, too."

Kurapika found himself trying to hold back tears, not wanting to feel so weak. He couldn't break down, not now. "I know… I know I wouldn't have prolonged my life this long… I know I would have fallen in hell… if it weren't for you."

Leorio simply shook his head. "You did it yourself. You were always strong enough on your own. Sometimes, you just need a reason to wake up and get out of bed. My reason was always you."

"…Heh. Your devotion is something that confuses me. I've pushed you away so many times, but you always seem to make it back. You always seem to break through that extra layer I've placed around my soul."

"The things you do for love."

A/N: . ;;; Umm… short and abrupt ending. Yes, yes, I know… oo;; I'm very sorry, even. My brain kind of died on where to go. It was meant to be just random fluff, even… got a bit… weird. X'D

Anyway… happy birthday, Mina! Sorry this wasn't better. ;; I've just not been able to write as well lately. O.o; bows apologetically many times over